The OpenSource Initiative

Software
has always been a very expensive proposition. In many cases, in
order to get software, one usually needed to include the price in a
budget, and probably get the support of your IT organization.
This still holds tru in many cases. On the other hand, the
OpenSource movement continues to explode with more and more
applications available. To get a good overview of what the
opensource movement is all about, take a look at the following link: http://opensource.org

Also, be aware of the usage of the word
"free" as it pertains to
OpenSource. In some cases like with OpenOffice, it is really
free. In the case of a larger application, Like the Moodle LMS,
you may get the software, but you certainly need to have a System
Administrator, and probably one programmer at least.

The OpenSource initiative is great, but
make yourself aware of all of the implications before jumping into
it.